I bury my face in my hands with a defeated sigh.
What the hell else can go wrong today?
揑 told him to cut the crap. He shouldn抰 be talking about employees the way he棓
揌onestly? I think he was right. Not the unprofessional guy talk, but the way he called you out.?She clears her throat. 揑 saw you coming up the hill yesterday with Eliza. You looked like you were having fun with her. That抯 good.?
揘ot good, Kate. She抯 an employee and the key to why we抮e here,?I snap. It抯 automatic.
Thankfully, she抯 had well over a decade of dealing with me.
揙h, I agree. But Seattle is full of beautiful women. It抯 been ten years and you haven抰 found anyone. You can抰 let optics scare you away from a good thing. If it抯 meant to be, then棓
揑抦 not having this conversation,?I growl, tugging at my collar.
She抯 quiet, staring, and I hate that it came out so acrid.
揥ith all due respect, I taught your daughter how to wear a tampon. I抦 not sure this is the most awkward conversation we抳e ever had.?
My eyes flick to the wood ceiling and back again as I let out a rolling sigh.
揑抦 sorry. I didn抰 know棓
揑 did.?She smiles. 揂nd if anything ever happens to Patrick, I expect you to pick up the slack with my boys.?
I nod sincerely.
揊air enough.?That sobers me up fast. 揑抦 a decent father, just a shitty husband. And Aster梞aybe she saw death as her only way out of the misery.?
Katelyn stares at me, her eyes growing wide.
I know I抦 in a mood, far past the point where I should shut my damn yap.
If only I could take it back.
揗r. Lancaster??She waits for me to look at her, and I do with another sigh. 揧ou can抰 be responsible for Aster抯 actions. What happened was an accident based on every report I ever saw. You know that, right??
揂ccident or not, our marriage was a dumpster fire. All thanks to me,?I say.
This conversation is also flaming trash. I抦 about to stalk off when she speaks again.
揗y sister抯 first husband sucked梔efinitely not like you. She divorced his butt, took his money and his kids, and moved to L.A. She works for the Mouse now, and she and the kids get season passes to Disneyland every year. She chose how she responded to her situation. I know it wasn抰 the same for you, but if the reports were wrong…then Aster made that choice.?She throws up a hand. 揘ot that I抦 saying she did! If the cops said it was an accident, I bet they抮e right.?
I turn my head. 揥ho the fuck knows. It doesn抰 matter.?
When I look again, Kate抯 staring at me.
揑s there something else??I ask over my shoulder, annoyed.
She grimaces. 揑 need to ask you a question, but I抦 not sure how without offending you.?
揂sk.?I抳e had enough drama today.
揇o you think maybe your inability to let go of this is why Destiny won抰 go to the beach??
Deafening silence.
揂re you saying Destiny can抰 move on until I do??I look at her sharply.
She swallows. 揑 don抰 know. I抦 no shrink, but I do know you抮e the most important person in her life. If you have any lingering doubts, it抯 likely she抯 picking up on them. Kids are intuitive, and Destiny is smart as a whip. She deserves to be happy.?
揑 know.?The words feel like solid lead.
揧ou deserve to be happy, too, boss.?
揑rrelevant. And I won抰 be梟ot until I know what happened that night,?I say, shocking myself.
I didn抰 realize that was even what I wanted until now.
揧ou抮e a billionaire. You抮e connected to every high and mighty moron in America,?she points out. 揝o, if you feel like you need answers for closure, go get them. This is the time and place. I guess I don抰 understand, though… The police already gave you one set of answers you didn抰 like.?
揥hat抯 that mean??
揂re you sure you need more answers? Or do you just need to accept ones you already have??
I mull that over for a minute, stroking my beard.
Could that be the problem?
If the police just up and told me Aster killed herself, or they were looking for her murderer, would I have believed it?
Yeah, I would have.
I might抳e been a rotten husband, but I knew her well enough to know she didn抰 just decide to go for a dip in the dead of night.
揑 need more,?I say, more confident of that now than I was before she asked.
揑f you insist. And speaking of chasing things down, I think your R & D girl is alone in her makeshift lab…？
I shake my head angrily. 揊or the last time, she抯 nothing and you抮e not goddamned cupid.?
She huffs out a breath. 揙-kay. Stay here and mope then棓
揑抦 not moping,?I throw back.
揊ine. Brood away, Mr. Heathcliff. I have to go fetch your reports for the next meeting, or you抣l make me look worse than I already do for getting personal.?